Remote Control Diagnostics

[WharfRat]

This topic is an adjunct of the Remote Controls topic.

Similarly, this topic may eventually have to be handed over to one of the admins to continue.
Thus, I will use ControlFreak to organize this topic until I surrender that profile to the admins.

So, for now, WharfRat is ControlFreak.

[ControlFreak]

Part I : Introduction

This topic contains procedures for remote control diagnostics and related tasks.

The topic is structured as follows:

• Part I : Introduction
  Part II : Other ideas
  Part III : Useful links
  Procedure 01 : identifying an unknown remote control
  Procedure 02 : checking if WinUSB is installed
  Procedure 03 : installing WinUSB manually
  Procedure 04 : reconfiguring WinUSB
  Procedure 05 : uninstalling WinUSB
  etc.
  and then comments, suggestions, and more procedures
  etc.

[ControlFreak]

Part II : Other ideas

These are concepts for procedures that still need to be developed.

testing if it is just a mouse and keyboard substitute only, and thus a piece of junk
trying it with Generic HID
suggesting a look at the WinLIRC website for any chance of making it work
a remote tester plugin might be useful

[ControlFreak]

Part III : Useful links

usb.ids is a text database file of Vendor IDs and Product IDs
Green Button Specification is the Microsoft MCE Remote recommendation

[ControlFreak]

Procedure 01 : identifying an unknown remote control

purpose: to establish the correct identity of a remote control

procedure:
Visually inspect the transmitter, receiver, packaging, manuals, and the website (if you bought it online).
Try to get the manufacturer and model numbers from everthing that is included.
Sometimes you will also find information in the battery compartment behind the batteries or on the lid.
Online shopping website information is usually not very reliable, but occasionally it helps.

Does the remote come with a software installation disk?
If so, don't install anything yet, but do browse the disk for any other information that you can find.

Take note of how the receiver interfaces to the computer.
Does it use the serial port, a USB port, a RJ-45 LAN port, or something else?

Do you see a LED poking out from the front of the transmitter?
(Some remote transmitters also have a red LED on the top where the buttons are, but that is not what we are looking for)
Do the transmitter or the receiver have a dark window on one side?
Is there an antenna or a wire without a connector on the receiver?
Are there any 3.5mm headphone-type sockets on the receiver?

Open the Windows Control Panel.
Open the System control panel applet.
Click on the Hardware tab.
Click the Device Manager button.
(The preceding instructions may vary depending on the Windows version)
If no Human Interface Devices item is in the tree, there is no need to worry.
If there is a Human Interface Devices item in the tree, click the + to expand it.
Make a note of what Human Interface Devices are listed there.
Close all the dialogs that have been opened, and then close Control Panel.
Now plug in the remote receiver.
Windows may need to install some of its own hardware drivers.
This may take some time, so let the installation proceed and conclude.
Now reopen the System control panel applet, and go to the Device Manager again.
See if anything has changed in the Human Interface Devices section.
If it has, then for each item, write down the name.
Then right-click the first new item and select Properties.
Go to the Details tab and write down Device Instance Id information.
(It should look similar to USB\VID_0755&PID_2626&MI_00)
The number after VID_ is the Vendor ID (VID), and the number after PID_ is the Product ID (PID).
Do the same for all the other new items in Human Interface Devices.
Close all the dialogs that have been opened, and then close Control Panel.

If you found some new items in Human Interface Devices, then also do the following:
Check the Remote Controls topic to see if anything matches the VID and PID.

Have you read everything in the Remote Controls topic yet?
Submit all this information to the Remote Controls topic.
If it is a new query, then create a query number, and include a picture of the recommended size as well.
If it is additional information pertaining to a previous query or reference, then reply using the previously specified number.

[ControlFreak]

Procedure 02 : checking if WinUSB is installed

purpose: some remote control plugins require WinUSB to be installed

procedure:
1. go to the EventGhost settings folder

• in Windows XP it is: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\EventGhost
  in Windows 7 it is: C:\ProgramData\EventGhost

2. if it does not contain a drivers folder then go to step 10
3. go to the drivers folder
4. if it does not contain a WinUSB folder then go to step 10
5. go to the WinUSB folder
6. if it does not contain any folders then go to step 10
7. if the computer uses 64bit Windows go to step 8, else:

• a. if it does not contain a x86 folder then go to step 10
  b. go to the x86 folder
  c. check if the following files are present:
  • dpinst.exe
    WdfCoInstaller01009.dll
    winusbcoinstaller2.dll
    WUDFUpdate_01009.dll
  d. if any of the 4 files are missing then go to step 10
  e. go to step 9

8. in this case the computer uses 64 bit Windows

• a. if it does not contain a x64 folder then go to step 10
  b. go to the x64 folder
  c. check if the following files are present:
  • dpinst.exe
    WdfCoInstaller01009.dll
    winusbcoinstaller2.dll
    WUDFUpdate_01009.dll
  d. if any of the 4 files are missing then go to step 10
  e. go to step 9

9. conclusion: WinUSB is installed, do not go to step 10
10. conclusion: WinUSB is not installed


EventGhost will create a driver.inf in the x86 or x64 folder.

Note the following details:
- the files for 32bit Windows and 64bit Windows versions have identical filenames
- do not substitute the files for the one version with those from the other version

[ControlFreak]

Procedure 03 : installing WinUSB manually

purpose: some computers are not connected to the Internet, so WinUSB must be installed manually

procedure:
1. download EventGhost%20WinUSB%20Add-on.zip from the EventGhost Downloads page
2. open EventGhost%20WinUSB%20Add-on.zip and extract the file contained in it
3. run EventGhost WinUSB Add-on.exe, and allow User Account Control to run it if necessary
4. click Next
5. click Next
6. click Finish
7. delete EventGhost WinUSB Add-on.exe
8. go to the EventGhost program folder

• in 32bit Windows it is: C:\Program Files\EventGhost
  in 64bit Windows it is: C:\Program Files(x86)\EventGhost

9. move the drivers folder to the EventGhost settings folder

• in Windows XP it is: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\EventGhost
  in Windows 7 it is: C:\ProgramData\EventGhost

10. go to the EventGhost settings folder
11. go to the drivers folder
12. go to the WinUSB folder
13. delete the folder that is not needed for this particular computer

• in 32bit Windows delete the x64 folder
  in 64bit Windows delete the x86 folder

14. go to the remaining x86 or x64 folder
15. move the 3 files in the dll folder from dll to the x86 or x64 folder
16. delete the now empty dll folder

Once WinUSB has been installed on a computer, it does not have to be installed again, unless it is uninstalled.

[ControlFreak]

Procedure 04 : reconfiguring WinUSB

purpose: debugging or changing a remote control plugin sometimes requires a reconfiguration of WinUSB

assumption: let XYZ represent a remote control driver package
for example: let XYZ represent Windows Driver Package - EventGhost PHX01RN (01/26/2010 1.0.2.0)

procedure:
1. open Control Panel
2. choose Add or Remove Programs
3. scroll down to XYZ
4. click on XYZ
5. click Change/Remove
6. click Yes
7. wait for it to be removed
8. if there is another XYZ

• a. click on XYZ
  b. click Change/Remove
  c. click Yes

9. close the Add or Remove Programs window
10. close the Control Panel window

[ControlFreak]

Procedure 05 : uninstalling WinUSB

purpose: to uninstall EventGhost completely

procedure:
1. uninstall EventGhost
2. open Control Panel
3. choose Add or Remove Programs
4. scroll down to Microsoft WinUsb 2.0
5. click on Microsoft WinUsb 2.0
6. click Remove
7. click Yes
8. wait for it to be removed
9. close the Add or Remove Programs window
10. close the Control Panel window